1898 Wilmington race riot report - Page 292

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worked as barbers at 122 Princess and he still lived on Walnut Street. Brown has not been conclusively
identified in census records prior to 1900 but he may have lived in Harnett Township in 1880. In the 1900
census, Brown was recorded as a North Carolina native who owned his home on Walnut. Brown’s wife,
Sophia was born in North Carolina to a mother born in Georgia and a German father. The census also
listed a son, Cecil Smith, age 21, in Brown’s household.
Sources: Prather, We Have Taken a City; Reaves, Strength Through Struggle; 1860- 1930 census;
1897, 1900 city directories; Bill Reaves Collection, New Hanover County Public Library; McDuffie,
“ Politics in Wilmington;” Cody, “ After the Storm,” 1890, 1897, 1900 New Hanover County tax records.
Brown, John H.
A member of the Committee of Colored Citizens, Brown was 36 at the time of the riot and was
working as a Health Officer for the city and as a barber. Brown’s workplace was located at 213 Princess
Street and his home was at 519 Brunswick Street. In 1890, Brown owned property valued at $ 400. By
1900, his taxable property value had increased to $ 475. By the 1900 city directory, Brown was working as
a carpenter and still living on Brunswick. Brown has only been identified in the 1880 census. In that year,
he lived in Wilmington with his father Alex and worked as a laborer. Both father and son were born in
North Carolina.
Sources: Prather, We Have Taken a City; Reaves, Strength Through Struggle; 1860- 1930 census;
1897, 1900 city directories; Bill Reaves Collection, New Hanover County Public Library; McDuffie,
“ Politics in Wilmington;” Cody, “ After the Storm,” 1890, 1897, 1900 New Hanover County tax records.
Bryant, Ari ( Ira R., Arie)
Bryant was one of 6 black men “ marched” to train and forced to leave town and was targeted
because he was an active member of the Republican Party. The Wilmington Messenger claimed that he
was targeted because he “ was looked upon by the negroes as a high and mighty leader. He was of vicious
temperament towards the white people and counseled his race to strife… inciting the blacks to violence.”
At the time of the riot, Bryant operated a butcher shop at the Front Street Market. Bryant tried to test his
banishment by returning to Wilmington in June 1899. A mob of armed men met at his home to force him
to leave again; forewarned, Bryant left before mob arrived and hid at home of neighbor, Andrew J. Walker.
When he left the second time, Bryant boarded a train for Norfolk, possibly to meet with TC Miller and then
planned to settle in Philadelphia.
Bryant lived on North Fifth between Bladen and Harnett in 1879 but moved to 1010 N. 5th Street
by 1897. In 1900, Bryant was no longer in the city but his wife, Isadora, still lived at the house and
operated a cookshop at 1106 N. 4th Street. By 1918, the Bryant home was the residence of J. H. Pickett,
white and by 1924, S. J. Cherry, white, lived there. The 1948 city directory listed the home as the residence
of Alex Merrick, black.
Bryant has not been located in the 1860 census and was probably a slave. In 1870, 17 year old
Bryant lived in the household of black laborer LeRoy Hubbard ( born in Kentucky) and his wife Harriet
( born in NC) along with David Bryant ( age 4), Cemante Bryant ( age 10) and Amelia Bryant ( age 14). His
Freedman’s Bank Application, dated July 15 1873, revealed that he was born in Wilmington, and lived on
Swann between 5th and 6th, was age 21, had a brown complexion, and that his father was Thomas and
mother was Harriet. He also listed siblings David, John, Samantha and Amelia. In the 1880 census, Bryant
was listed with his wife Agnes and was working as a butcher.
Sources: Prather, We Have Taken a City; Reaves, Strength Through Struggle; 1860- 1930 census;
1897, 1900 city directories; Bill Reaves Collection, New Hanover County Public Library; McDuffie,
“ Politics in Wilmington;” Cody, “ After the Storm,” 1890, 1897, 1900 New Hanover County tax records;
Reaves, Freedmen’s Bank Applications; Wilmington Messenger, June 18, 23, 21, 1899.
Bryant, L. H.
L. H. Bryant was Superintendent of Streets in 1898 and was fired from his job after Waddell
assumed the Mayor’s office. L. H. Bryant has not been identified in the census. Louis Bryant was listed in
the 1897 tax list as owning property valued at $ 900 but the value dropped to $ 600 in 1900. A will for
Lewis Bryant was probated in New Hanover County in 1915. A white L. Bryant was listed in the 1880
census as 49, working as a carpenter and married with two children.

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262
worked as barbers at 122 Princess and he still lived on Walnut Street. Brown has not been conclusively
identified in census records prior to 1900 but he may have lived in Harnett Township in 1880. In the 1900
census, Brown was recorded as a North Carolina native who owned his home on Walnut. Brown’s wife,
Sophia was born in North Carolina to a mother born in Georgia and a German father. The census also
listed a son, Cecil Smith, age 21, in Brown’s household.
Sources: Prather, We Have Taken a City; Reaves, Strength Through Struggle; 1860- 1930 census;
1897, 1900 city directories; Bill Reaves Collection, New Hanover County Public Library; McDuffie,
“ Politics in Wilmington;” Cody, “ After the Storm,” 1890, 1897, 1900 New Hanover County tax records.
Brown, John H.
A member of the Committee of Colored Citizens, Brown was 36 at the time of the riot and was
working as a Health Officer for the city and as a barber. Brown’s workplace was located at 213 Princess
Street and his home was at 519 Brunswick Street. In 1890, Brown owned property valued at $ 400. By
1900, his taxable property value had increased to $ 475. By the 1900 city directory, Brown was working as
a carpenter and still living on Brunswick. Brown has only been identified in the 1880 census. In that year,
he lived in Wilmington with his father Alex and worked as a laborer. Both father and son were born in
North Carolina.
Sources: Prather, We Have Taken a City; Reaves, Strength Through Struggle; 1860- 1930 census;
1897, 1900 city directories; Bill Reaves Collection, New Hanover County Public Library; McDuffie,
“ Politics in Wilmington;” Cody, “ After the Storm,” 1890, 1897, 1900 New Hanover County tax records.
Bryant, Ari ( Ira R., Arie)
Bryant was one of 6 black men “ marched” to train and forced to leave town and was targeted
because he was an active member of the Republican Party. The Wilmington Messenger claimed that he
was targeted because he “ was looked upon by the negroes as a high and mighty leader. He was of vicious
temperament towards the white people and counseled his race to strife… inciting the blacks to violence.”
At the time of the riot, Bryant operated a butcher shop at the Front Street Market. Bryant tried to test his
banishment by returning to Wilmington in June 1899. A mob of armed men met at his home to force him
to leave again; forewarned, Bryant left before mob arrived and hid at home of neighbor, Andrew J. Walker.
When he left the second time, Bryant boarded a train for Norfolk, possibly to meet with TC Miller and then
planned to settle in Philadelphia.
Bryant lived on North Fifth between Bladen and Harnett in 1879 but moved to 1010 N. 5th Street
by 1897. In 1900, Bryant was no longer in the city but his wife, Isadora, still lived at the house and
operated a cookshop at 1106 N. 4th Street. By 1918, the Bryant home was the residence of J. H. Pickett,
white and by 1924, S. J. Cherry, white, lived there. The 1948 city directory listed the home as the residence
of Alex Merrick, black.
Bryant has not been located in the 1860 census and was probably a slave. In 1870, 17 year old
Bryant lived in the household of black laborer LeRoy Hubbard ( born in Kentucky) and his wife Harriet
( born in NC) along with David Bryant ( age 4), Cemante Bryant ( age 10) and Amelia Bryant ( age 14). His
Freedman’s Bank Application, dated July 15 1873, revealed that he was born in Wilmington, and lived on
Swann between 5th and 6th, was age 21, had a brown complexion, and that his father was Thomas and
mother was Harriet. He also listed siblings David, John, Samantha and Amelia. In the 1880 census, Bryant
was listed with his wife Agnes and was working as a butcher.
Sources: Prather, We Have Taken a City; Reaves, Strength Through Struggle; 1860- 1930 census;
1897, 1900 city directories; Bill Reaves Collection, New Hanover County Public Library; McDuffie,
“ Politics in Wilmington;” Cody, “ After the Storm,” 1890, 1897, 1900 New Hanover County tax records;
Reaves, Freedmen’s Bank Applications; Wilmington Messenger, June 18, 23, 21, 1899.
Bryant, L. H.
L. H. Bryant was Superintendent of Streets in 1898 and was fired from his job after Waddell
assumed the Mayor’s office. L. H. Bryant has not been identified in the census. Louis Bryant was listed in
the 1897 tax list as owning property valued at $ 900 but the value dropped to $ 600 in 1900. A will for
Lewis Bryant was probated in New Hanover County in 1915. A white L. Bryant was listed in the 1880
census as 49, working as a carpenter and married with two children.